I finally snapped back to reality and blurted, "Winston, I'm a good friend of Luna. Don't joke with me like this."He grabbed the phone from my hand, scanned my WhatsApp QR code with his phone, added himself in one swift motion, and then placed my phone back into my hand.Winston said, "With God as my witness, I swear that every word I've said is true, and none of it is a joke. Consider this a heads-up. Go home, adjust your mindset, and I'll begin my pursuit tomorrow. I hope you'll take it seriously."I regretted not setting a password for my phone. Winston wouldn't have been able to add himself so easily if I had.After finishing his declaration, Winston slung his backpack over his shoulder, smiled at me, and walked away with a casual swagger. When he was about ten yards away, he turned back and waved vigorously. "Go home now. I'll treat you to dinner tomorrow."Although I was indeed a foodie, I couldn't believe Winston's plan to pursue me was to highlight my love for food right
Being with Chris for so many years, I knew I liked him. But surprisingly, I had never felt this kind of shyness with him, no matter what we did together.Perhaps it was because I never felt valued. Chris never gave me the chance or the right to feel shy, so naturally, I never experienced that feeling.I fidgeted, unable to decide which foot to move first. I stood at the door for two whole minutes, my face flushing red.Winston chuckled, his eyes twinkling like stars. He jogged up to me with a cheeky smile on his face. "What's wrong? Are you so happy to see me that you've forgotten how to walk? Were you up all night hoping I'd come? Oh, Zara, you're so adorable. I'm so happy!"Here, I got you breakfast. It's your favorite coffee and doughnuts, and they're still warm."It was no wonder Winston was crossing his arms. It turned out he was indeed holding something. I was touched. After all, for five years, I was the one bringing breakfast to someone who never said a kind word but acc
"Zara, what's your take on Winston? If you're sure there's no chance you'll like him, just tell him clearly and don't keep him hanging. With his good looks and family background, plenty of girls are interested in him. Yet, you don't seem to care about him at all," Lulu remarked.Lulu's words echoed my biggest worry. In terms of wealth and status, Winston was the legitimate heir to the Moyer family and mostly mingled with the upper echelons of society.As a woman from an ordinary family who was much older than him, I felt utterly unworthy of him.This insecurity gnawed at me. If someone like Chris could cheat, there was no way I could believe that a young and promising man like Winston would remain faithful.Life was long, and in such a tempting world, there probably weren't many couples who could genuinely support each other until the very end.As the saying goes, "Once bitten, twice shy." Moreover, I was putting myself at risk of being bitten by the kin of the same being again.
The Moyer family was in a frenzy, bringing in experts from all over the country to treat Chris. While his life was no longer in danger, he would never be able to have children. Whether he could even perform sexually in the future was up to fate.Given this situation, Faye's pregnancy suddenly took on enormous significance, making her child Chris' only possible heir. His parents treated Faye like a queen, showering her with endless care and attention.When Chris came to understand his condition, he tried to take his life several times. Only his parents' desperate pleas and tears managed to keep him from succeeding. Despite his profound reluctance, Chris eventually accepted the reality of his situation. To ensure the Moyer family line continued, he acknowledged Faye's status and married her although he adamantly refused to hold a wedding ceremony.When I heard the news, I couldn't help but feel a sense of poetic justice. The once-arrogant man was now in a pitiful state. It was a sta
It was the fall of my senior year in high school, and the weather had gotten chilly.Felix White's uncles, Duncan White and Eugene White, had brought their families over for a visit, and my family joined them. His family members and mine added up to about 20 people, and we were all gathered at his house for a meal.With the help of alcohol, the atmosphere that night had become rather lively.Since there were so many people present that day, the men were all seated at one table for drinks while the women were seated together to chat.Everyone was chatting excitedly, and it was an extremely joyous day.Somehow, the conversation had shifted to talk about me and Felix. This happened every single time our families gathered together. It was quite awkward at first, but it happened so often that I had gotten used to it. It didn't faze me anymore.They could say whatever they liked. It wasn't as if I could do anything about it.Melinda Priceton was Felix's mother, and I called her Aunt
My mother was a broad-minded and decisive person who took a direct approach to life.Meanwhile, Duncan had been sitting at the other table and was clearly quite drunk. He laughed out loud before he said in his booming voice, "That's right. Our kids have all grown up now. You are … Harper, right? When your daughter and Melinda's son get married, don't forget to invite us to the wedding as well!""Of course! You're Felix's uncle! You would certainly be invited!" Mom replied cheerfully.Just like that, the conversation quickly switched from what college we were attending to the ways everyone would be chipping in for our wedding. If I didn't know better, I'd have assumed I was getting married tomorrow!Everyone was now engaged in an enthusiastic discussion about the wedding. Even one of Felix's young relatives, a mere child, was excitedly declaring that he wanted to be the flower boy.I lost interest in this conversation quite quickly.I had heard it countless times before, so there
Felix wasn't done yet."Who gave you guys the right to make my life decisions for me? Luna's her own person, and I'm my own person too. We lead separate lives, so do you guys keep pairing us up?"I will never attend the same college as her, so you all can just forget it!" Felix shouted as he glared at everyone in the house. His eyes were filled with hate. It made me want to curl up into a ball out of embarrassment.The house remained completely silent. The little boy who wanted to be the flower boy at my future wedding wailed as he buried his face in his mother's neck. "Mom, Felix is angry!"His mother carried him out to the balcony to console him.Everyone's gaze was on me, and I could feel my heart throbbing in pain. How I wished I would just pass out then and there. That would be better than enduring the pitiful looks everyone was shooting me.18 years. We spent every day together for 18 years. He was my world, and I gave him everything. Yet, all I got was humiliation.He h
Mom shot Dad a look, and Dad pulled out his phone to call for an ambulance.When Felix saw Dad calling for an ambulance, he pushed Aunt Mel away aggressively and forced himself onto his feet to snatch Dad's phone away.Aunt Mel lost her footing and stumbled backward before falling onto the floor. Wincing in pain, she could not seem to get back up.Felix had also used too much strength to push himself to his feet. He lost his balance and banged against the dining table. There was a resounding crash as the table crashed and all the plates fell off.The delicious meal that Aunt Mel and Mom put in a lot of effort to prepare was now ruined. The dining room was in chaos, mirroring the emotions swirling in my heart. Uncle Austin froze, as did everyone else.No one could've expected a happy family dinner to end like this.Felix, now covered in food, got back up on his feet. His right hand was clenched into a fist, and there was fresh blood dripping from his fingers. He had cut himsel